


I Wish You Won't Take It Back

by Whiteasy



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Drinking, Drunken Confessions, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Love Confessions, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-14 20:55:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28677039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whiteasy/pseuds/Whiteasy
Summary: Heading home at dawn from a New Year's Eve party, Reiner admits to Bertholdt something he never would've said had he been sober.
Relationships: Reiner Braun/Bertolt Hoover
Comments: 6
Kudos: 76





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Trying to get back to writing with this ficlet.

Reiner smiled that wide grin of his and it took one look at the way he was slightly swaying, and clutching Bertholdt’s shoulders perhaps a bit too tightly, for the taller man to know that his friend had had perhaps more than just one glass of wine. It always came to him as a surprise how much Reiner couldn’t hold his alcohol, and Bertholdt couldn’t help a smile of his own at the thought.

“By the way, did I ever tell you that Ymir thinks that I have a crush on you?”

Bertholdt blinked his eyes, unsure of what he had just heard. “Um. No?” Bertholdt chuckled awkwardly, brows furrowed in confusion. How drunk was Reiner exactly?

“—like a _huge_ crush. What were we talking about then?” Reiner cocked his head in that peculiar way he usually does whenever he’s thinking hard, “huh, I don’t remember... Probably something about Historia.” Reiner shook his head, a fond smile quirking the corners of his mouth, “I mean, that’s all Ymir talks about, right? Though, it’s weird don’t you think? Why would she talk about her own girlfriend of two years then bring _you_ up? Or rather _me_. No, **_us_**.” Reiner’s eyebrows knit together in confusion and Bertholdt wished he could indeed provide with an answer to his question.

“Why does Ymir do or say anything?” Bertholdt concurred at a loss for anything else to say. He carefully helped slash half carried Reiner toward his bed. When the blond failed for the third time to unlace his boots, Bertholdt sighed before kneeling down in front of his friend and took over what seemed to take Reiner herculean efforts to achieve.

“You’re so good to me, Bert.” Reiner drawled as he freed his tangled limbs from his sweater. Bertholdt made a mental note to turn on the heater on his way out lest his friend got hypothermia. It was below zero degrees after all.

“There you go.” Bertholdt murmured as he tucked Reiner safely in his bed. Now that he was peering down at his flaxen dishevelled hair and flushed cheeks, Bertholdt felt warmth bloom inside his chest, and his body tingled all over as he remembered Reiner’s earlier confession.

It had been undoubtedly the alcohol talking so, Bertholdt brushed off the thought, ignoring the way his heart fluttered at the mere possibility of Reiner’s words carrying half of any truth to them.

“Good night,” Reiner mumbled, barely lucid. Before he could think it over, Bertholdt reached over and brushed Reiner’s falling hair away from his forehead. An involuntary smile pulled at his lips when the other hummed in content.

“Good night.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I know I said I'll update an epilogue but somehow this turned into a 3-parter 🙊

“ _Good morning!_ ” Historia chirped from behind Reiner before she pulled a chair next to where he was he was seated in the university cafeteria.

“Shhhh!” Reiner winced at both her louder than usual tone and the screeching of the chair's legs against the floor.

“Ah. Hangover, I see.” Historia grinned wolfishly, _uncharacteristically_.

“You’re still drunk, I see.” Reiner growled, raising his hands to clutch at his throbbing temples.

“Just a _little_ bit.” The shorter blond shrugged before taking a sip from her coffee.

“I’m never getting that drunk ever again.” Reiner groaned as he lowered his head against the table.

“Even if you swore on your mother’s life, we both know you won’t keep that promise.” Historia remarked. Reiner couldn’t argue with that so he merely grunted in response. How much longer is it going to take the barista to make a cup of plain, black coffee for god’s sake?

“I’m not sure if it’s a good idea to ask someone who’s still drunk from last night but here it comes; did I do anything stupid yesterday?” Reiner asked as soon as he sat back again next to his classmate of three years now.

“I’d say nothing problematic.” Historia shrugged.

“Oh thank god—”

“Except for you know, basically confessing you have a crush on Bertholdt.”

A pregant pause. Reiner felt the world spin around him, and he wasn’t sure it was exclusively the alcohol’s receding effects.

“ _That’s_ not **problematic**? That’s the biggest fuck-up of my countless fuck-ups of the year!” Reiner nearly shouted at an impassable Historia, earning himself a few questioning glances.

“Stop shouting! I’m still drunk.”

“Jesus Christ, how could you let me drink so much?”

“Because I’m not your babysitter?”

“Fuck. Wait—” Reiner narrowed down his eyes at his companion. “How do you know all this? Oh god, don’t tell me I made a public, humiliating confession—”

“Bertholdt told me. Us.” Historia replied calmly, “OK, fine. He panic-texted Ymir then she told me.”

“Oh my god—what have I done!”

“ _Nothing_. You were drunk, told some of Ymir’s anecdotes about how you guys are 24/7 going heart-eyes at each other—”

“We... ** _I_ **do not go heart-eyes at Bertholdt.” Reiner argued back, feeling a lump form in his throat. For some reason, he couldn’t infirm the same thing on Bertholdt's behalf as he couldn't be certain about the way the other looked at him sometimes.

Had it always been platonic? Or was it something he had turned a blind eye to for fear of the worse?

What about Reiner? Was he so obvious that people around them read him like an open book?

If so, did Bertholdt notice and prefer to say nothing about it?

“Look, before you propose to him next time you get wasted, I think you guys have some... stuff you need to talk about.” 

“Historia... I—I don’t even know how I really feel about him. I—I mean, we’ve been friends for so long—” Reiner stuttered before pinching the bridge of his nose, “say, I feel about him... some way... what if he doesn’t reciprocate my feelings?”

“There’s only one way to find out, isn’t there?”

Right. He needed to face Bertholdt, look him in the eyes, and then he’ll know his answer. Bertholdt deserved that from him.

Honesty while he was completely sober.

But first, he’ll have that cup of coffee.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for the final chapter xx


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A much needed conversation follows Reiner's decision...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To the final chapter!

Bertholdt hadn’t talked to Reiner in almost a week now. Not since that eventful New Year’s Eve party when his friend– his best friend– kind of confessed he had a crush on Bertholdt. Till this day, Bertholdt didn’t know what he should think of it. He had texted Ymir as soon as he had practically ran outside Reiner’s place to hail a cab back to his place. Ymir being, well, _Ymir_ , she hadn’t been of much help, aside from replying with a curt: 

_Did he now?_

Bertholdt had been tempted to text Historia instead, but eventually refrained from doing so knowing that a) she probably already knew since Ymir wouldn’t hide anything from her girlfriend and vice versa. And b) she was probably piss-drunk and unable to provide him with any wise advice. 

So, Bertholdt resigned himself to fate and lowkey relied on Reiner to bring it up first in the following two days or so. By Wednesday, Bertholdt couldn’t believe he managed to fool himself that Reiner was any different from him– he'll pretend nothing had happened or rely on Bertholdt to address the elephant in the room first. 

And here they were; a week later unable to even have a normal, casual conversation without both of them sputtering some excuse to run off, be it homework, a club activity or one of their friends’ birthdays. In Reiner’s case, Connie celebrated his birthday thrice that same week. 

Connie’s birthday was in _May_. 

Perhaps Bertholdt was overthinking this. Maybe Reiner had just been way more than inebriated than he had assumed, letting slip one of Ymir’s anecdotes to tease them both. Or perhaps it was _her_ prank, to make him flustered about nothing. 

Come Saturday, Bertholdt decided he needed to shake off his gradually souring mood. If Reiner meant nothing by it, so be it. Granted they were avoiding each other and feeling way more awkward than they ever felt in each other’s presence (Bertholdt wishes to erase Friday Movie night from his mind, when they had been both forced to sit next to each other, ridiculously tense and unable to focus on the _hilarious_ film, according to Porco) but soon they’ll go back to acting normal. It was only a matter of time and– 

_Hey,_ _wanna_ _grab a cup of coffee? - Reiner_

Bertholdt stared at his phone for what felt like hours (it was ten minutes) before he nervously thumbed a curt _‘ sure. meet you at the intersection cafe at 4pm?’_ which was followed by his own, quick _'see you then’_ from Reiner’s side. 

Despite his earlier apprehension, Bertholdt found himself thoroughly enjoying himself in Reiner’s company as they chit-chatted about everything and nothing. These feelings of familiarity, comfort and lightness– Bertholdt never wanted to let go of. And if it meant he had to keep the feelings he harbored for his dearest friend to himself, then it was a meager price to pay. 

Bertholdt leant back against the wooden bench in the park nearby campus, closing his eyes as he relished the comfortable silence that fell between them. It was moments like these where it was only the two of them, not needing to breath a single word for them to enjoy each other’s company that Bertholdt treasured the most. He prayed to any god out there that even if they graduated and moved to different cities for their respective jobs, that they will still try to make some time for themselves, to sit next to each other in reminiscence of moments like these. 

_“I love you.”_

A serene smile quirked Bertholdt’s lips. The words, albeit the product of his own imagination sounded no less than music to his ears. As if on instinct, he turned to look at the man seated beside him, his shoulder now brushing against his with the motion. Reiner looked as handsome as he had always been. The orange hue of the sunset was reflecting ethereally on his golden strands and it was in moments like these that Bertholdt could perceive the flecks of gold in his amber eyes. 

Bertholdt wished he could still this moment. Seal it in his memory. 

Yet, for some reason, Reiner didn’t seem like he was sharing the same sentiment. He looked objectively distressed. Bertholdt frowned in confusion, racking his brain for what he might’ve said or done to upset his friend. 

When Reiner started to look even more mortified, with his face turning a fiery red Bertholdt realized that it wasn’t because he said something but rather because he _didn’t._

A beat.

Bertholdt’s mind was a whirlpool of emotions and galloping thoughts. He felt on the verge of fainting. 

He didn’t daydream that Reiner confessed his feelings to him properly this time. It had unequivocally happened. And Bertholdt was undoubtedly giving Reiner a rough time by falling speechless in response to his brave attempt at addressing what they both had failed to acknowledge for an entire week. 

No, for _years_. 

“Um, I–I, Bertholdt... I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have...” Reiner stammered apologetically, face growing even redder than Bertholdt had ever witnessed, “I, uh, I just thought, maybe–” 

“I love you.” Bertholdt breathed before he could think it over.

He was done with thinking and mulling over every single emotion of his. If Reiner was trying to be brave and honest, then Bertholdt could do the same. Always. Together. 

“I love you, so much. For as long as I could remember.” The words seemed to tumble out of Bertholdt’s lips, and for the first time, he didn’t feel anxious about it. 

This felt right. He felt like this was meant to be. 

“I love you too. I always did.” Reiner breathed, before he laughed light-heartedly. Bertholdt’s face broke into a wide grin, his heart thundering against his ribcage. It was only mere seconds before Bertholdt started laughing too because Reiner’s laughter was _adorably_ contagious. 

“We’re idiots.” Reiner uttered, cheeks still dusted with a delightful hue of pink. Bertholdt knew that he must've had a similar reaction since he felt way too warm despite the cold January weather. 

“We are.” Bertholdt sighed, “but it doesn’t matter anymore.” He breathed before he reached for Reiner’s gloved hand, meshing their fingers together. God, he felt like he was on cloud nine right now. 

“Yeah.” Reiner murmured before he rested his head on Bertholdt’ shoulder, humming in content when Bertholdt pressed a kiss to the crown of his head. 

The year hadn’t started exactly as he had envisioned it yet, Bertholdt had a feeling it could only get better from now on. 

They had each other after all, for as long as fate would allow them to be. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for reading. See you soon xx 
> 
> I don't know how many of you are aware of this but, Mishafer and I are currently hosting a Reibert Week 2021 or "Reibert last Hurrah" to celebrate our favorites one last time before the manga ends. Details of the event can be found [here](https://twitter.com/RBLastHurrah/status/1348740468809543681)  
> and [this is where the prompts will go.](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1wSF0cRucmMA46QOYSMMgfpv-w51wHq1AoDTjMIgCZmg/viewform?edit_requested=true)  
> Seven winning prompts will be immediately revealed after closing down the voting. You can suggest as many as you want so have fun!  
> I hope you'll join us in this last ride xx


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